'I gave it my all to pass Iker' - Vierge determined to be leading Honda rider

Rookies Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona combine for Team HRC’s best start to a WorldSBK season after claiming six top tens between them in Aragon.

Robert Jones

15 Apr 2022

Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, Aragon WorldSBK, 10 April

Following a strong WorldSBK pre-season, a true indication of where Honda stood was to be determined once racing officially began.

And while the Japanese manufacturer appeared no better off than 2021 in terms of results at Aragon, various factors have to be taken into account.

The most significant concerns Vierge and Lecuona being completely new to Superbike machinery, its electronics, Pirelli tyres, brakes and more.

Furthermore, Vierge suffered a nasty rib fracture shortly before the season opener which left the Spaniard fearing whether or not he could complete all three races.

But whether it was battling for the top five (Lecuona, race one) or top tens in both Sunday races, Vierge and Lecuona showed huge potential throughout the weekend.

"Before coming here, I did not even expect to finish all three races but, in the end, not only did we finish them but we also consistently fought in the top ten," added Vierge.

"I’m really happy to have finally discovered the WSBK championship; it’s a nice racing format and I’ve really enjoyed it.

"Due to my recent injury, I had to build on my performance over the course of the weekend. Sunday was a good day, firstly because we made up four positions in the sprint race and were therefore able to gain a better grid position for race two. And then we finished eighth in race two."

Friendly rivalry at Honda!

During race two in particular, Vierge and Lecuona could not be separated as their battle for seventh, which included Loris Baz and Garrett Gerloff, raged on for nearly 18 laps.

Xavi Vierge, Iker Lecuona and Loris Baz, Aragon WorldSBK Race2, 9 April

Vierge ultimately got the better of Lecuona who instead finished tenth, making it 2-1 in the latter’s favour.

Vierge continued: "When I saw the possibility of passing Iker, I gave it my all. Step by step, I was able to increase my pace over the weekend and I can say I’m very happy with the work we did each day.

"Hopefully now, in the run up to Assen, I can recover and be fully fit for the next round so that I can focus solely on the track action.

"Iker and I are pushing to the max and this is good for us both, but also for the team as a whole. We get along well, and I think we are all doing a good job as a team."

Honda cement themselves as fourth best in WorldSBK pecking order?

Although challenging the likes of Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaha - all three manufacturers locked out the podium in all three races - is the aim for Honda, round one suggested they have moved up the pecking order.

Following a disastrous weekend for BMW (pre-season wasn’t much better), Honda have seemingly put themselves ahead of the German manufacturer, which was not the case for large parts of 2021.

Lecuona, who leaves Aragon fifth in the championship, believes Honda’s start was a very positive one, while also giving the team something to build on.

Loris Baz and Iker Lecuona, Aragon WorldSBK Race2, 10 April

The former MotoGP rider said: "Overall, I think I can be happy. Leaving Aragon in fifth place in the championship, considering this is my first round with the team and the bike and after crashing in testing, is not bad at all.

"Having said that, it’s frustrating that I missed out on the chance to do better than eighth in the sprint race after making a small mistake when I shifted into third gear in a second-gear corner, losing some ground that I wasn’t able to recover.

"Then in race two I struggled a lot, firstly when I found myself behind Xavi; it took me some time to pass him because I really wanted to do it in the safest possible way.

"I eventually moved up to eighth but then I started to lose the front in the final stages of the race. I had to be careful not to crash and so couldn’t defend my position in the end.

"A bit of a tough race then, but it’s all experience that we will harness in order to do better in the future. Thanks to the team because they always work very hard and really help me."